-=================================================
-Perl 5 README file for the EPOC operating system.
-==================================================
+If you read this file _as_is_, just ignore the funny characters you
+see. It is written in the POD format (see pod/perlpod.pod) which is
+specially designed to be readable as is.
-Olaf Flebbe <o.flebbe@gmx.de>
-http://www.fortunecity.de/wolkenkratzer/trumpet/84/perl5.html
-Aug 25, 1999
+=head1 NAME
-Introduction
-------------
+perlepoc - Perl for EPOC
-This is a port of Perl version 5.005_60 to EPOC.
+=head1 SYNOPSIS
-There are many features left out, because of restrictions of the POSIX
-support in the SDK.
+Perl 5 README file for the EPOC Release 5 operating system.
+=head1 INTRODUCTION
-Installation/Usage
-------------------
+EPOC is an OS for palmtops and mobile phones. For more information look
+at: L<http://www.symbian.com/>
-You will need ~4MB free space in order to run perl.
+This is a port of perl to the epocemx SDK by Eberhard Mattes, which
+itself uses the SDK by symbian. Essentially epocemx it is a POSIX
+look alike environment for the EPOC OS. For more information look at:
+L<http://epocemx.sourceforge.net/>
-Install perl.sis on the EPOC machine (most likely a PSION Series
-5). If you do not know how to do that, you are on your own. You may
-have to use a CF Card in order to work with perl. The perl debugger
-uses more then 1.5 MB additional RAM. The heap is limited to 2 MB.
+perl and epocemx runs on Epoc Release 5 machines: Psion 5mx, 5mx Pro,
+Psion Revo, Psion Netbook and on the Ericsson M128. It may run on Epoc
+Release 3 Hardware (Series 5 classic), too. For more information about
+this hardware please refer to L<http://www.psion.com/>
-Perl itself and its standard library are using 1.7MB disk space. I
-left out UTF support and modules which will not work with this
-version. (For details look into epoc/createpkg.pl).
+Vendors which like to have support for their devices are free to send
+me a sample.
-Copy eshell.exe to the same location as perl. Start eshell.exe with a
-double click.
+=head1 INSTALLING PERL ON EPOC
-Now you can enter: perl -de 0 in order to run the perl debugger. If
-you are leaving perl, you have to switch back manually to eshell.exe
-(With Ctrl-System or the button in the upper right corner of the
-System screen.) When perl is running, you will see a task with the
-name STDOUT in the task list.
+You can download a ready-to-install version from
+L<http://www.oflebbe.de/perl/perl5.html>
-You can redirect the output with the UNIX bourne shell syntax (this is
-built into perl rather then eshell) For instance the following command
-line will run the script test.pl with the output redirected to
-stdout_file, the errors to stderr_file and input from stdin_file.
+You will need at least ~6MB free space in order to install and run perl.
-perl test.pl >stdout_file <stdin_file 2>stderr_file
+Please install the emxusr.sis package from
+L<http://epocemx.sourceforge.net/> first.
-Alternativly you can use 2>&1 in order to add the standard error output to
-stdout.
+Install perl.sis on the EPOC machine. If you do not know how to do
+that, consult your PsiWin documentation.
-Pathnames to executables in eshell.exe have to be written with
-backslashes, file arguments to perl with slashes. The default drive of
-perl is the same as the drive perl.exe is located on, the default path
-is the path perl.exe is / (???).
+Perl itself and its standard library is using 4 MB disk space.
+Unicode support and some other modules are left out. (For details,
+please look into epoc/createpkg.pl). If you like to use these modules,
+you are free to copy them from a current perl release.
-i.e. command lines look a little bit funny:
+=head1 STARTING PERL ON EPOC
-D:\perl.exe C:/test.pl >C:/output.txt
+Please use the epocemx shell to start perl. perl integrates with the
+conventions of epocemx.
-In order to use Getopt::Long you have to autosplit this module by hand: run
+=head2 Features of Perl on Epoc
-\perl.exe \autosplit.pl in order to create the necessary files.
+The built-in function EPOC::getcwd returns the current directory.
-You may have a problem to create perl scripts. A cumbersome workaround
-is to use the OPL Editor and exporting to text.
+=head2 Restrictions of Perl on Epoc
-Problems
---------
+Features are left out, because of restrictions of the POSIX support in
+EPOC:
-The following known problems exist:
+=over 4
-1) no support for system, backquoting, pipes etc. One cannot exec a
- different process.
+=item *
-2) no signals, kill, alarm. Do not try to use them. This may be
- impossible to implement on EPOC.
+socket IO is only implemented poorly. You can only use sysread and
+syswrite on them. The commands read, write, print, <> do not work for
+sockets. This may change iff epocemx supports sockets.
-3) select is missing.
+=item *
-4) binmode does not exist. (No CR LF to LF translation for text files)
+kill, alarm and signals. Do not try to use them. This may be
+impossible to implement on EPOC.
-5) Only a stub Config.pm
+=item *
-6) EPOC does not handle the notion of current drive and current
- directory very well (i.e. not at all, but it tries hard to emulate
- one)
+select is missing.
-7) sockets may hardly of any use.
+=item *
-8) You need the shell eshell.exe in order to run perl.exe and supply
- it with arguments.
+binmode does not exist. (No CR LF to LF translation for text files)
+=item *
-Compiling Perl 5 on the EPOC cross compiling envionment.
---------------------------------------------------------
+EPOC does not handle the notion of current drive and current
+directory very well (i.e. not at all, but it tries hard to emulate
+one). See PATH.
-0. You will need the C++ SDK from
- http://developer.epocworld.com/. Install it on a separate
- drive.
+=item *
-1. Get the Perl sources from your nearest CPAN site.
- Unpack the sources of perl5.005_60 in the epoc development drive.
-
-2. Copy all files in the directory perl5.005_60/epoc to perl5.005_60.
+Heap is limited to 4MB.
-3. Check the perl.mmp file: It should have the correct locations for
- project und subproject (see step 1)
+=item *
-4. Change to the EPOC development drive and run
- makmake perl marm
- nmake -f perl.marm
- makesis perl.pkg perl5.005.sis
+Dynamic loading is not implemented.
-5. Beam the perl5.005.sis to the Psion5, install and enjoy!
+=back
-You can use epoc\createpkg.pl to generate a new perl.pkg file.
+=head2 Compiling Perl 5 on the EPOC cross compiling environment
+Sorry, this is far too short.
-Wish List
----------
+=over 4
-- Implement an OPX to get rid of eshell.exe.
+=item *
-- Implement system(), in order to run the tests.
+You will need the epocemx SDK from Eberhard Mattes.
-- Implement getprotcolbyname() and relatives.
+=item *
-Support Status
---------------
+Get the Perl sources from your nearest CPAN site.
-I'm offering this port "as is". You can ask me questions, but I can't
-guarantee I'll be able to answer them; I don't know much about Perl
-internals myself;
+=item *
+
+Unpack the sources.
+
+=item *
+
+Build a native perl from this sources... Make sure to save the
+miniperl executable as miniperl.native.
+
+Start again from scratch
+
+ cp epoc/* .
+ ./Configure -S
+ make
+ cp miniperl.native miniperl
+ touch miniperl.exe
+ make
+ perl createpkg.pl
+
+ emxsis perl.pkg perl.sis
+
+=back
+
+=head1 SUPPORT STATUS OF PERL ON EPOC
+
+I'm offering this port "as is". You can ask me questions, but I can't
+guarantee I'll be able to answer them. Since the port to epocemx is
+quite new, please check the web for updates first.
+
+Very special thanks to Eberhard Mattes for epocemx.
+
+=head1 AUTHOR
+
+Olaf Flebbe <olaf@oflebbe.de>
+L<http://www.oflebbe.de/perl/perl5.html>
+
+=head1 LAST UPDATE
+
+2003-01-18
+
+=cut
https://perl5.git.perl.org / perl5.git / blobdiff